Xu Wei Prose Characterized By Its Position In Literary History

On the basis of periodization, the dissertation systematically expounds the characteristics of Xu wei's prose, traces their historical origins and reevaluates its significance and status in the history of both Chinese literature and Ming-dynasty literature. The key points argued about in this dissertation include four aspects.Firstly, marked by the deprivation of Xu wei's status of Xiucai(秀才) at the age of 46, his prose creation falls into two periods, namely, Xiucai Period(诸生期) and Recluse Period (山人期) ?The reason is that the change of his status subsequently brings about many other changes concerning his concept of values, his mentality, his mood keynote, his creation motives and his aesthetic inclinations and that all the changes are incarnated in his prose, which at last results in the transition of his prose style from "depressed" to "undepressed". Above all, this transition of his prose style lays solid foundation for the periodization.Secondly, the emotions permeating through Xu wei's prose have the qualities of acuity, profoundity and sincerity, while its forms display their special traits in its archaic type of writing, its netlike structure and its miniscale. As a result, the contradictions between the above-mentioned emotions and forms brings Xu wei's prose the very aesthetic nature of being full of tensions.Thirdly, as far as Xu wei's historical origins are concerned, Qinhan prose contributes to the formation of its characteristics by influencing its archaic type of writing as well as its spirit and flavour, while Tangsong prose does so by influencing its structure. However, compared with the latter, the influence from the former is more prominent.Lastly, judged from the history of Chinese literature, the traditional Chinese prose had been fading since Tang and Song dynasties till middle Ming dynasty in its lyric function and its lawful space for individual emotions and therefore had been the most unenlightened and vigorless style because of being burdened with the grave task of conveying doctrines and being shadowed by the newly-flourishing lyric styles such as ci(词) and sanqu (散曲 ). Xu wei reputs acute, unfeigned and individual emotions in the traditional Chinese prose , therefore Xu wei's prose full of such emotions has the very significance of both relaying the great spirit of Qinhan prose and reviving the vigor of the traditional Chinese prose. Judged from the history of Ming-dynasty literature, Xu wei's prose theory of valuing ancientry, technique, emotion and sincerity agrees with Former Seven Masters' theory in nature, but Xu wei's prose works excel Former Seven Masters'works, remedying the latter's deficiency ofbeing rich in theory but poor in works. Xu wei's prose, which combines inheritance with renovation, sets an example for Gongan School, arousing their self-questioning about their theory and their works, leading their prose style conversion from "triviality" to "solemnity", and converting the Late-Ming dynasty literature to the right orientation of combining inheritance with renovation. Considering the above-mentioned two aspects, we come to the conclusion that Xu wei is the pivotal person in the history of Ming-dynasty literature, whose prose works both remedy the deficiency of the reactionists and arouse the Gongan School's conversion.There are four chapters and about 200,000 Chinese characters included in the dissertation, of which about 160,000 characters are included in the proper text.